SANDY + RIZZO:

The Queens of Glitter

 JENNY GAUTHIER & ANNA DICKSON

BY ELIZABETH BEARD DEAL

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Two local teachers—and now self-trained resin artists—have taken the jewelry scene by storm. Meet Jenny Gauthier, an art teacher at Southfield School with a background in architecture, art, and design, and Anna Dickson, a Professor of English at Bossier Parish Community College with a background in jewelry sales, art, and what she describes as “a lifetime love of accessories.”

Their jewelry company, Sandy+Rizzo, began with and is best known for the wide-ranging shapes and styles of large, colorful, shiny, dangling earrings—designed and created personally by the two owners with self-selected materials and art resin, mixed in a proprietary design process and hand-poured into specialty jewelry silicone molds. They are always using and testing new ingredients and recipe combinations. They even make their own custom-blended glitter. Anna and Jenny have different art styles, and each poured piece is one-ofa- kind. “It can’t be recreated—it’s art,” says Anna. “We also honor women who have inspired us—daughters, sisters, mothers and friends—by naming styles after them.”

The duo love to create themes for their art pours, inspired by pop culture, film, plays, and even singers. Some of these themes have included the Beatles, Dolly Parton, Wicked, Wizard of Oz, The Greatest Showman, Disney Villains, David Bowie, The Sound of Music, Taylor Swift, the Nutcracker, and the Grinch.

Anna and Jenny had the support of many friends and family who encouraged them and volunteered to help them get Sandy+Rizzo off the ground. The two also made some important business decisions from the beginning. “We branded early,” says Jenny. Having a professional name, logo, and high-quality marketing materials was important to them. So where did the name come from? A few years ago, Jenny was planning to attend an auction party at school dressed as Sandy from the movie Grease and asked Anna if she would be her Rizzo, to which Anna responded, “That’s the role I was born to play! Of course I will.” They admit the characters fit their personalities—sweet Jenny as Sandy and outgoing Anna as Rizzo—so it seemed the perfect name for their company. Their slogan: “Less Bitter, More Glitter!”

Anna and Jenny also outsourced what wasn’t directly related to the creative side and production of their products, like hiring a firm to handle the finances and employees to support the business.

Since they began a year and a half ago (during Covid), Sandy+ Rizzo has experienced a phenomenal growth in sales. The growth of the business has been an organic process, crossing one milestone at a time. Many friends and family volunteered to help get the business off the ground, and the first big achievement was selling at the Red River Revel. “To me, being local and growing up here, the Revel was always a point of acceptance into the art world,” says Anna. They believe utilizing  various sales channels instead of just one or two—art shows, gift shows, wholesale, retail, social media, and the website— has helped accelerate their brand recognition.

Jenny and Anna have captured the hearts of many followers and customers, affectionately known as the Pink Ladies (also a Grease reference if you don’t know), through Instagram and Facebook, always sharing positive messages along with their jewelry. They go LIVE on Facebook (Mondays at 7:30 pm) to chat with and sell the themed earrings to Pink Ladies of all ages who join in from a multitude of states to view what the owners liken to an ‘evening talk show.’ “It really is an awesome community that we have built, and we are so humbled and grateful that women love our art,” says Anna.

“What we realized early on was that we were only going to be able to pour so many earrings, because as an artist, you can only produce so much art,” according to Anna. This led Jenny and Anna to expand the product line to include acrylic options. “They are still beautiful, still unique, still very sparkly, and something that you haven’t seen before, but we’re able to make more of these because we can use our laser cutter,” says Anna. Just like with the resin line, only Jenny and Anna select the patterns and hand-draw the designs. “This is our art and this is what’s sought after,” she adds. Seasonal designs are extremely popular, with hard-to-keepin- stock selections from hearts to Mardi Gras and crawfish to Christmas trees.

While the large earrings are wildly popular, a new stud bar featuring designed stud earrings recently introduced has become a surprisingly instant favorite—perfect for young girls (or women battling masks at the workplace!) at a great price point. Sandy+Rizzo also retails other accessories like bracelets, sunglasses, and headbands to their Pink Ladies. They make a point of purchasing these products from other women-owned brands.

Sandy+Rizzo manufactures and makes all the jewelry, farming nothing out, with help from employees Anna Baker, Kate Wimer, Anne Embry, and Caitlin Lear. “It is very similar to how women used to sit around and quilt. We sit around a big round table and we assemble, so we put together jewelry with our own hands,” says Anna. “We discovered recently that not a lot of people are doing that anymore,” says Jenny. “But we feel like that’s what people really appreciate about it—the art of it. It’s always new. It’s always unique,” she added. (And once it’s sold out, it’s gone.)

As with many startups, the owners’ respective homes were full of supplies, tools, materials, and workspaces. But they have moved into a leased residential space, fondly called the Pink Lady House, to use as their workshop, a space for designing, testing, creating, assembling, packaging, and shipping their products. “We are excited to have a centrally located place that is kid and pet friendly. This way we and our employees can all take care of work and family together,” says Jenny.

Anna and her husband, Michael, have two daughters, Harper and Annabelle. Jenny and her husband, Wes, have two daughters, Ellie and Kate. You could technically say the daughters are behind the whole story. The girls, best friends, brought their mothers together, who soon became BFFs too. The business ultimately grew out of this friendship. Anna and Jenny share ideas and responsibilities daily and each one is quick to compliment the strengths of the other.

Jenny and Anna love the fact that they have become role models for their daughters, who see them following a dream and working hard toward that dream every day. “We’re just very proud that they’ve been able to see us build this,” says Jenny.

Right now, you can find Sandy+Rizzo products at sandyrizzo.com, at the Shreveport retail location (The Gilded Oyster shared with Allison Rhymes), and at several local boutiques in the Shreveport-Bossier area. But that’s about to change. Last month, Anna and Jenny decided to try their hand as first-time wholesale vendors at Dallas Market inside the World Trade Center. Somewhat shocked themselves, they sold their jewelry to 22 boutiques across the U.S., seriously expanding their reach!

What do they believe has impacted their success so far? “We’ve always been kind to everybody we’ve encountered including other makers and other resin artists in the industry,” says Jenny. Anna agrees, and adds, “Consistency. We are always focused on keeping the creative design, the quality of the jewelry and our production processes consistent.” Receiving an order this month from a shop on Magazine Street in New Orleans really made the success feel real. “That’s it, we made it! Our Mardi Gras earrings are in New Orleans!”

The old adage says, “people do business with people, not businesses.” You just have to meet Jenny and Anna once to realize how their personalities and business philosophies have, and will undoubtedly continue, to drive their business forward into the future. It appears that the glittery path ahead may be paved with gold…

Photo: Anna Baker[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post SANDY + RIZZO: The Queens of Glitter appeared first on SB Magazine.

The BAKOWSKI BRIDGE OF LIGHTS Isn’t Just Any Bridge

BY ADAM BAILEY

Bridges come in all styles, shapes, and sizes. Whether it is what took place on that bridge, its innovative design, or its setting—bridges are memorable. And sometimes, they are worth seeking out even if you simply wish to gaze on them.

Ask anyone. The bridge is arguably one of the most transformative engineering marvels of our time. Throughout history, they have brought people together to not only close the gaps between physical obstacles, but have helped find ways for people to share a multitude of experiences.

Remember the significance of the Bering Strait Land Bridge? The place most archaeologists agree humans first passed from Asia to populate the Americas. Or, thousands of years later, the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge, where Showman P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants, 7 camels, and 10 dromedaries to prove the bridge’s safety (not to mention its usefulness as a public-relations opportunity). What about that known bridge that cuts your commute in half? I bet it has a name, even if it’s an unofficial one.

Why are they significant? Bridges connect people, communities, and economies—creating possibilities out of impossibilities. They are a powerful creator of opportunity; more than just spans of pavement across a chasm. A bridge is a metaphor that defines a connection through communication and art, binding people together on an issue or idea.

Think about it. The concept of what the bridge is, and what it can become. That notion, too, is constantly changing. Over the last two decades, cities from London to New York, from San Francisco to Singapore, have transformed their city’s bridges into breathtaking canvasses of light illuminating the landscape—reinvigorating new life where these sprawling structures have made their connections.

Now, thanks to a public and private sector commitment, Shreveport-Bossier will join in this up-and-coming architectural lighting trend that will display a spectacular palette of light, art, color, and creativity over the Red River with the Bakowski Bridge of Lights.

In 1994, anyone driving through Shreveport-Bossier got to enjoy the glow of the neon lights that adorned the Texas Street Bridge. Even though many people questioned its cost and scratched their heads over the project, the goal was to create a signature piece of public art that would not only help define Shreveport in a creative, strikingly visual, and very public way, but to help connect Shreveport with its sister city on the other side of the river. Was it successful? Absolutely! Has it not become a lasting image that, even to this day, helped give an identity to Shreveport-Bossier? To many, it became a beacon of pride for the two cities and attracted events such as the Miss Teen and Miss USA pageants, where it was proudly boasted, “Our runway is paved in Neon!”

Unfortunately—due to vibration, road dust, weather, and father time—the lights stopped working. However, a recent renovation project on the bridge is calling for something new; one that has been six years in the making. The Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC)—the “Public Art Arm” of the City of Shreveport— took the lead to re-light the bridge. Now, the Texas Street Bridge—officially known as the Long-Allen Bridge—is set to be updated and outfitted with over 13,000 LED lights that will illuminate all 2,982 feet of the bridge, thanks in large part to a one-million-dollar commitment from Dr. George Bakowski and his wife, Sandra.

“For over forty-five years, Shreveport-Bossier has generously supported my optometry practice, and what better way to bring our community together than with light—uniting people with the civic pride as nothing else will,” said Dr. Bakowski. “It will be a catalyst for community involvement, pride and, hopefully, spur economic development.”

The project to relight the bridge, according to Dr. Bakowski, was his wife’s idea. Over six years ago, when the couple read that the bridge’s neon lights had been extinguished, it was Mrs. Bakowski who said that something should be done to recreate a sense of civic pride for both Shreveport and Bossier City. “George and I are glad to bring this project to light,” says Mrs. Bakowski. “The aim is to not only showcase the great work of art to those traveling daily on I-20, but it will transform the landscape of the Red River and unite the communities and economic development within both Shreveport and Bossier City. Our hope is that this is the first step in incentivizing others to contribute to a new era of vitality for our area of northwest Louisiana and help create a symbol of vision for the community.”

Along with Bakowski’s donation, the City of Shreveport, the City of Bossier City, the Red River Waterway Commission, and the Louisiana Public Service Commission committed funding for the road lighting and the installation of the new lights. Other project donors were the Downtown Development Authority and Will Atkins who are supporting the programming and maintenance of the bridge. Furthermore, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) has enlisted a team of local artists, designers, and IT professionals to create a state-of-the-art bridge lighting system. SRAC is counting on this team to commit to using the project as a pipeline for training artists, both young and old, to be able to add coding (and other technical skills) to their professional art careers.

“Shreveport is alight with creativity, talent, and public-private cooperation,” said SRAC Executive Director Pam Atchison. “The Bakowski Bridge of Lights is going to astound people with its interactive and constantly morphing colors, shapes, and forms. It will be a show-stopping statement on the skyline of our two cities, all designed by local artists, both young and old, and programmed by IT professionals—all from right here in northwest Louisiana.”

Everyone—from professionals to kids to newlyweds to all those in between—will be able to contribute to its success.

To begin, William Joyce will showcase his light show at the grand opening, which will include choreographed music and fireworks that culminate in a crescendo of music and energy. According to Joyce, “It will be like nothing I have ever done before—a fundamental shift in our skyline, turning the bridge into a light sculpture in a dynamic, ever-changing way and pushing technology as far as we can push it to see what we can accomplish. It’s going to be the heartbeat that courses life between our two cities!”

Keith Hanson, Chief Technology Officer, and Smart Cities Director for the City of Shreveport, alongside SRAC’s artist-in-residence, will collaborate all the primary IT-professional programming for the bridge. Hansen stated he is excited about multiple opportunities afforded by both artists and IT professionals and thinks the opportunity will create a new movement within the city. “This work is a cool blend of the ideas and skills of technologists and artists. I will also have the opportunity to mentor young minds in art and technology to hopefully catapult them into a new career,” said Hanson.

The general public, too, will be able to purchase bridge lighting designs for celebrations, special occasions, and announcements, and specific lighting programs can feature an assortment of causes such as Breast Cancer and AIDS Awareness. Riverfront venues such as the Sci-Port rooftop and the Shreveport Aquarium patio (now heated, cooled, and covered) have developed special packages for weddings, baby gender reveals, anniversaries, etc. These events can include a custom-designed light show for the special occasion.

The bridge lights can also be programmed to welcome visitors to conventions, announce major community events such as the Independence Bowl, the Bass Pro Classic Tournament, Mudbug Madness, and the Red River Revel. Stacy Brown, President and CEO of the Shreveport/Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, believes the bridge will “provide an iconic landmark Testing the lights. Photo: SRAC that ties Shreveport and Bossier City together in a way that resonates with residents and visitors. It will also be a unique tool to entice conventions and events to northwest Louisiana with the opportunity to customize the lights to showcase their events.”

Furthermore, starting in June 2022, the first Friday of every month on alternating sides of the river, there will be parties under the bridge with an arts market, street performers, and food trucks. Students from Southern University at Shreveport, Bossier Parish Community College, Caddo Parish Public Schools, and the VOA Lighthouse Afterschool Program plan to create light shows. The bridge, needless to say, will be constantly changing to be the best thing to experience this year.

Just ask anyone involved. They all believe it will be more than just a visual feast. It will be a living, moving example of how art can help transform a city—on many fronts—and it will certainly illuminate the importance of public art, in general. In an era where traditional funding, respect, and attention to gutsy creative endeavors seem to have waned dramatically, shifting to the more distracting fancies found in the babble of Facebook updates, Twitter spawns, or the empty mental calories found in watching TikTok videos—The Bridge of Lights has all the makings to be a remarkable concept.

Here are a few reasons worth noting.

First, public art has come a long way from granite statues of men in city parks. And it’s not just about the scale of something like the Bridge of Lights. It’s what technology has made possible— art that’s dynamic, that shifts mood and shape, and sometimes augments reality. To put it simply, this bridge can create connections—literally and metaphorically. Much like a campfire stimulates conversation and participation from those surrounding it, the Bridge of Lights will be doing something similar. And while it doesn’t hurt that it’s eye-catching— from many points on both sides of the Red River—the added perk is that you will be able to connect with somebody next to you who is also experiencing the same thing you are. It definitely will be a focal point in which people can gather around.

Beyond ‘connection,’ the work unites art with technology. And if there’s one thing Shreveport-Bossier understands— especially considering SRAC’s involvement—it’s “art” and “techy” things.

Finally, there’s the economic boost— the work is bound to lure travelers near and far into the area. While many upcoming, high-profile, events such as Mudbug Madness will attract swarms of visitors to downtown, many will flock to various points of interest on both sides of the river for the lone purpose to experience the bridge.

According to Pam Atchison, a tool SRAC plans to use to help measure economic impact is called the Signify Social Media app, which tracks where “Bakowski Bridge Lights” chatter originates. “For example, we will know when someone makes an Instagram post from the Jack Binion’s restaurant at the Horseshoe Casino, or posts on Facebook from the Louisiana Boardwalk. This information will be shared with the area businesses so that they may consider advertising campaigns.” Atchison believes the bridge will funnel new economic benefits into the local economy for years to come.

The bottom line is, The Bridge of Lights can be used as a model for how other cities can become more inventive with their infrastructure and public art. There can be little question that digital technology is now the driver, in not just how we interact with our environment, but also in how we view it. And whether its method is to enhance the world around us or to change entirely how it appears, this is where public art is headed. It will be a catalyst indeed. With that being said …light it up!

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